Compressor



Mayzl 1929. H. s. HELE-SHAW ET! AL R 17 293 ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOROriginal Filed Feb. 15, 1925 3 h t 1 H. S. HELE-SHAW ET May 21, 1929.

ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Original Fil ed Feb. 13, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May21, 1929. 3 HELESQHAW T AL Re. 17,298

ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Oriina'l- Filed Feb. 15', .1925" 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Reissued May 21, 1929.

UNITED SI'IAVAATES HENRY SELBY HELE-SHAW AND THOMAS EDWARD BEACHAIMI, OFLONDON, ENGLAND.

ROTARY Am comrnnsson.

Original No. 1,611,030, dated December '14, '1926, Serial No. 8,948,filedIebruary 13, 1925, and in Great Britain March 28, 1924. Applicationfor reis to one another, wherein the joint between the cylinder carrierand the valve is sealed .bya

' lubricant.

A further feature of the invention com prises a separator or eliminatorfor separating oil or other lubricant from air or gas consistingofaseries of Vertical rods arranged in air or gas is passed the verticalrods being arranged to cause the stream of air or gas to take a sinuouspath and so intercept and collect therefromthe oil and; allow it todrain down the rods to the bottom of the separator.

Itis roposed to create a filmof liquid between he working surfaces in'order to prebeing ledfrom this store of liquid to passages in thecentral valvecommunicating with suitvent gas leakage, in the followingmanner. A reservoir of oil, glycerine or other liquid is formed in asuitable position which reservoir is under the final gas pressure, apassage ably arranged holes or grooves in its surface. The pressure inthe reservoir will thenforce the liquid along the central valve and intothe valve ports and cylinders and thus" maintain a liquid seal. Anyliquid which passes the pistons or the end of the .valve drains to thebottom of the case from which it is picked up bythe air suction,carried'through the compressor and up into the reservoir mentionedabove. The oil may be picked up by suction by ionising a choke tube -inthe, suction inlet (if the pump capable of creating sufiicient ranged inthe top reservoirtoenable the discharge gas to deposit the'liquid it hascarried vacuum by Venturi action tolift the oil the required amount, asprayer beingprovided if necessary. i

Suitable baflies of air filters maybe arthrough the compressors. Thecase, inter mediate and final receivers may be cooled by means 'ofsuitable water jackets orby. air fins. p

An embodiment of the invention is illus- 'trated by the accompanyingdrawings,,where sue filed December 6, 1928. Serial No. 324,260.

oil collector or separator illustrating'the path of the air,

Figure 5 1s a perspective view of the Valve, and Figure 6 is a view ofone end of the compressor casingshowing the air cooling'passages.

'In these drawings 20 is the main cylindrical portion of the compressorcasing. having 'water coolin passages 21. On one end of the casing 20 isoltedan end plate 22 having at its central portion a hole provided witha ball bearing 23 in which rotates apower shaft- 24, driven from anysuitable source of power. At the other end of the casing is fixed aplate 25 provided with a central cylindrical extension 26 forming afixed valve fitting in a bore in a cylinder carrier 27 which is formedas an extension of the power shaft 24.

pistons 28 and- 29, and at right. angles to these low pressurecylindersthe carrier is bored at two diametrically opposite places toform high pressurecylinders C and (l in which reciprocatepistonsi3Q.and." 31.

' Each pi ton is provided with a gudgeon pin 32, of considerable sizecompared with the piston and'fits in holes in bosses 34 provided Thecylinder carrier-27 is bored at two diametrically opposite places toform low pressurewcylinders C and C in which reciprocate Figure dis aplan viewof a portion of the in'the sides of the pistons which are ofthetruncated type. At each end of the gudgeon pins 32 a groove 35 is cutaway on its inner side in such'mann'er as to leave upper portionsadapted to slide in slots36 provided in opposite sides of the cylinders,The portions v of the gudgeon pins projecting beyond the sides of thecylinders are provided with outer circular race 38 on which is mountedthe large annular roller 39., This roller 39 rolls in the groove 40" inthe ring 40 on that .side of the cylinder. The diameter of the annularroller 39 is obviousl' just a little smaller than the width oft egroove40.

cranked or -'eccentric pins 37 each of which is provided with rollerbearings 38 having an The rings 40, one at each-end of the gudgeon pin22-may be divided and the rollers substituted by slides, slippers orequivalentla v1ces.

The rings 40 are recessed to receive the outer races of ball bearings41, the inner races of these ball bearings being mounted on ec centricprojections 42 extending from the inner faces of, the end plates 22 and25.1

By this construction as the power'shaft 24 rotates it carries round thecylinder carrier 27 and also the pistons and gudgeon pins 32 and theirrollers 39 round in the grooves in the rings 40, and as. these rings aremounted on the fixed eccentrics 42 the pistons are reci rocated radiallyin regular sequence. The ow pressure cylinders C and C are I providedwith ports 50 and 50 in their inner ends, and the high pressurecylinders with similar ports 51, 51" each openingon to the outer surfaceof the fixed central valve 26, the ports 50*" and 50 being out'oicircumferential adignment with the ports 51 and 51 gThe ports 50 and 50of the low pressure cylinders rotate over ports 52 and 53 arranged atopposite sides of the valve26 (see Fig. 3) 52 being connected by apassage 54 in the valve and a passage 56 inthe shaft 24 to an air inlet55, while 53 is connected by a longitudinal passage 57 to a sinuouscooling passage 58 in a plate 69 fixed on the end plat 25 of the casing(see Fig. 6).

. The ports 51' and 51! of the high pressure cylinder rotate over fports60 and 61 arranged .at opposite sides 0 2) 60 being connected by alongitudinal passage 59 with an opening in the late i'egistering Jwith aport 72 in'the p ate 69 at the p other'end of the cooling passage 58,while the a passage 62 and an inlet 73 to a final sinuous coolingpassage 63 in the plate 69, the outlet valve port 61 is connected byalongitudinal 74 of this passage being connected to a pipe 64 leading toaseparator 70 in which theoil 'is separated from the air before it passesthrough-an outlet 71 intoa compressed air reservoir-or .to any desiredmotor or'apparatusfor direct use. '7

The low pressure cylinders C 0?, are coaxial at'opposite sides ofuthevalve 26 so that when the port of the cylinder O is open through'thevalve port 52' to the air inlet 55, the port 50" ofthe cylinder C willbe open through the valve port 53 to the cooler 58 and thehigh'pressure. c linders Cand Ct are at rig'htzangles to 1 and C andalso coaxial at opposite sides of the valve 26 so that when the port 51of the cylinder C is cooler 63 a p Air or gas passes through the inlet55, the passage 56 in the shaft 24, and the passage '54 in the valve 26and then throughthe valve open through the valve port 60 to the cooler58, the port 51 of the cylinder C will be open through the valve port 61tothe final the valve 26 (see-Fig.

valve 26.

port 52, and when in register therewith, through the port 50 into thecylinder C during the outstroke of the piston 28. The continued rotationof the cylinders around the valve 26 closes the valve port 52 and opensthe valve port 53 to the cylinder C so that during the instroke of thepiston 28 air is "the cylinder carrier 27 rotates to such a positionthat the cylinder port 51* will register with the valve port 61 whichopens into a valve passage 62 of which the other end is in register withthe second cooling passage 63 in the'plate 69.

v The eliminator or separator 7 0 consists of a horizontal cylindricalVessel having an inlet 8( connected to the compressed air delivery pipe64'andcontains a series of vertical rods 81 supported betweentwohorizontal plates 82 and 83,-a perforated distributing late'84 beingfixed in the cylinder over the inlet 80 so that all the air will passthrough this plate before passin between the rods. The rods 8l arearrange in rows as shown in Fig yllI'B 44,each;row being opposite thespaces of the next row so that alr passing through these rods will takea sinuouspath as shown by the arrows.

The air passing through the eliminator encounters the rods and depositsthe suspended oil on the rods, this oil drains down the rods into thespace below them, while the I clean air passes through the outlet 71.These vertical rods 81 must be sufliciently close together to insure allthe 'oil from the passing air collected on them, they must however, alsobe sufliciently far apart to prevent the collected 'oil being taken upby the passing air, that is their dimensions, number and dispositionmust be such as to prevent the air passing between them at a velocitythat will not be high enough tO efiect a scouring of the rods; or toolow and so pass round the rods withoutdeposit ing the oil. y

The oil from the separator 70 passes down through a pipe 85 to alongitudinalpassage 86 in the valve 26 (see? Figs. 2 and 5). The passage86 branches ofl through'radial holes ,87 to circumferential grooves 88'provided on the valve surface, each of these .surface grooves 88 beingprovided with branches'89 leading to the line of ports to ensure theformation of a complete oil film round the The valve'26 is provided withcirculating high pressure cylinder communication cooling water spaces 90communicating by apassage 91 with awater supply pipe 92, and also withan outlet passage 93 which conducts the water to a space 94 between theend plate and the cooler plate 69. The water then passes throughpassages not shown to the water jackets 21 of the casing and is disicharged through the outlet pipe 95.

be arranged between any of the intermediate form a liquid seal at thispoint.

The oil collected by the rods 81 drains to the bottom of the casing 20in a well 96, which communicates by a passage97 in the end plate 22 withradial openings 98 in the shaft 24 and whichopen intothe air passage 56so that during the rotation of the shaft oil will be drawn 1nto thispassage carried with the airintothe cylinders and thereby lubricate thepistons. In cases where it is desired to. compress a gas from or to apressure which may vary considerably, nonreturn valves may and finalreceivers, so that in the eventof the final pressure being reached in anintermediate cylinder the latter is enabled to discharge direct into thehigh pressure passage.

The case may be inrcommunication with either suction, discharge or anintermediate pressure, and the shaft passing through the. case fittedwith a gland which gland may be fed with oil from the pressure reservoirto The cylinders instead of being arranged in diametrically oppositepairs as shown in the ,drawings may be arranged at any suitable angle toone another.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l 1. A rotaryair or gas compressor, com prising high and low pressure cylinders, arotary cylinder-carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet andoutlet passages, and a gas cooler, the cylinder carrier being providedwith passages leading from the cylindersto the valve about which itrotates to placethe outlet froma low pressure cylinder in communicationwith'the cooler and then the cooler in communication with the inlet of ahigh-pressure cylinder, andthen the outletof the high-pressure.cylinderin communipation with the compressed air delivery outet. v i ii 2. A rotary air or gas compressor, com prising high and low pressureradial cylinders, a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valvehaving ports and inlet and outlet passages connected thereto; and a gascooler,,th e outer ends of the cylinders being open and their inner endsprovided with passages, leading to a bearing face of the;cylindercarrier on the valve,-the cylinder carrier rotating-on the valve toplace the low pressure cylinder in communication with the cooler andthen the cooler in communication with the high pressure, cylinder, andthen the with the compressed air delivery outlet.

3. A rotary airor gascompressor, com prising a plurality othighand lowpressure cylinders, a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valvehaving inlet and outlet passages'connected thereto, and a gas cooler,them cylinders being arranged in diametrically op-' .posedhigh pressureand low pressure pairs in the'carrier and the carrier provided withpassages leading from the cylinders to oppositely disposed ports in thevalves about which it rotates to place first one low pressure cylinderin communication with the coolers and then the cooler in'communicationwith the high pressure cylinder, and then the high pressure cylinder incommunication with the compressed air delivery outlet and during thesamesequcnce of operations to'place the opposite low pressure cylinderin communicanected thereto, and two gas coolers, the cylindel carrierbeing provided with passages leading from the cylinders to the valveabout which it rotates to place the low pressure cylinder incommunication with one of the coolers and then this cooler incommunlcation with the-high pres sure cylinder, and then the highpressure cylinder 1n communication with the other cooler and from whichthe compressed air is delivered.

5.. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising high and low pressureradlal cyl nders, a rotary cylinder carrier a fixed cyllndrical valvehaving ports and inlet and outlet passages connected thereto, and twogas coolers, theouter ends ofthe cylinders being open and their innerends provided with pasder carrier on the valve, the cylinder carrierrotating on the valve to place the low pressure cylinder incommunication with one of the coolers and'thento place this cooler incommunication' with the high pressure cylinder K and then the highpressure cylinder in communication with the second cooler from which thecompressed air is delivered;

connected thereto, and two gas coolers, the

cylinders being, arranged in diametrically opposed high pressure and lowpressure pairs in the carrier and *the carrier provided with passagesleading from the cylinders to oppositely disposed ports in the valveabout which it rotates to place first one low pressure cylsages leadingto a bearing face (ifthe cylininder in communication with one of thecoolers and then to place this cooler in com- 1 .secured to one of theend plates of the cas-' and then thehigh pressure cylinder incommunication with the second cooler from which the compressed air isdelivered, and during the same sequence of operations to place the.opposite low pressure cylinder in communication with the air supply andthe opposite high pressure cylinder in communication with thecorresponding low pressure cylinder."

7. A rotary airor gas compressor, com- .prising a casing having coolingwater circulatmg ackets and passages, High and low pressure cylinders arotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet andoutlet air or gas-passages and cooling water circulating passages, and agas cooler,'the cylinder carrier being provided with passages leadingfrom the cylinder to the valve about which it rotates to place the lowpressure cylinder in communication with the cooler and the cooler incommunication with the high pressure cylinder, and then the highpressure cylinder in communication with the compressed air deliveryoutlet, the cooling jacket and passages of the casing being permanentlyin series with those of the valve.

8. A rotary air or gas compressor in accordance with claim 1, having oneor more pairs of radial low pressure cylinders disposed co-axially onopposite sides of the. valve, and one or more pairs of similarlydisposed high pressure cylinders arranged at right angles to. the lowpressure cylinders on the carrier.

- 9. A rotary air or gas compressor in ac-- cordance with claim 1,wherein the coolers are in the form of sinuous passages in a plate ingof the compressor.

10. A rotary an or gas compressor comprising high and low pressurecylinders, a

rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet andoutlet air or gas passages and lubricating passages to annular groovesin its cylindrical surface, a gas cooler and an oil separator, thecylindrical carrier being provided with passages leading from thecylinder to the valve about which it rotates to place the low pressurecylinder'in communication with the cooler and the cooler incommunicationwith the high pressure cylinder, and then the high pressure cylinder incommunication with the separator, the oil from the separator beingforced by the compressed air through the lubricating passages to theannular grooves in the valve face.

11. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising high and low' pressurecylinders, a

i rotary cylinder carrier, 9. fixed cylindrical valve having inlet andoutlet air or gas passages and lubricating passages to itscylindricallsurface, a gas cooler and an oil sepa- 17,aoe V rator, thecylinder carrier being provided with passa es leading from the cylinderto the valve a out which it rotates to place the low pressure cylinderin communication with the cooler, and the cooler in communication withthe high pressure cylinder, then the high pressure cylinder incommunication with the separator, the oil from the separator beingforced by the compressed air through the lubricating passages of thevalve.

12. A rotary air or gas compressor as in claim 1, having a rotatingcylinder carrier carrying a number of radial cylinders rotating on afixed cylindrical valve on which the ports and passages are so arrangedthat air or gas from each low pressure cylinder is discharged throughintermediate receivers into higher pressure cylinders and finally intothe separator or discharge pipe.

13. A rotary air or gas compressor comprising a pair of high and lowpressure cylinders, reciprocating pistons therein, a rotary cylindercarrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet passages, twoairor gas coolers, an oil separator, and means for reciprocating thepistons in the cylinders, the cylinder carrier being provided withpassages leading from the cylinders to the valve about which it rotatesto place the low pressure cylinder in communication with one of thecoolers and then this cooler in communication with the high pressurecylinder and then the high'pressure cylinders in communication with theother cooler from which the compressed air is delivered to the oilseparator.

14. A rotary air or gas com ressor comprising two pairs of high and owpressure cylinders, reciprocating pistons therein, a. rotary cylindercarrier, a fixed cylindrical valve 'havinginlet and outlet passages, twoair or nication with the high pressure cylinders, and. then the highpressure cylinders incommunication with the other cooler from which thecompressed air is delivered to the oil separator.

of the coolers and then this cooler in coinmu- 15. A rotary air or gascompressor com prising a pair of cylinders, reciprocating pistonstherein, a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve havinginlet and outlet passages, an air or gas cooler, an oil separator, andmeans for reciprocating the pistons in the cylinders, the cylindercarrier being provided with passages leading from the cylinders to thevalve about which it rotates to place the cylinders in communicationwith the cooler from which the compressed airis delivered to the oilseparator.

eccentrics, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet passages,the cylinders being arranged radially in the carrier with their outerends open and their inner ends communicating bypassages to a bearingface of the carrier running on the fixed valve and registering duringthe rotation of the carrier with openings in the valve leading to thepassages therein and the gudgeon pins provided on the under sides withundercut grooves whereby they extend down the sides of the cylinders andextend laterally into the grooves of the grooved rings,

17 A rotary air or gas compressor comprising a casing having end plates,a rotary cylinder carrier mounted therein, radial high and low pressurecylinders carried by said carrier, reciprocating pistons in said cylinders, means for reciprocating said pistons, a fixed central valve, anair or gas cooler having sinuous passages, the passages in the fixedvalve being so arranged that the air or gas from each low pressurecylinder is discharged through the sinuous passages of the cooler intothe high pressure cylinder, the sinuous passages being formed inone ofthe end plates of the casing.

18. A rotary air or gas compressor co1nprising a rotary cylindercarrier, radial cylinders mounted therein, reciprocating pistons in saidcylinders, gudgeon pins carrying rollers mounted on said pistons, afixed central valve, an air or gas receiver, a pair of fixed eccentrics,a pair of laterally grooved and opposite- 1y disposed rings mounted onsaid fixed eccentrics, the passages in the valve being'so arranged thatair or gas from the cylinder is discharged into the receiver, and thegudgeon rollers being arranged to run in the grooves of the groovedrings which rotate freely on the fixed eccentrics thereby reciprocatingthe pistons.

19. A rotary air or gas compressor comprising a rotary cylinder carrier,radial cylinders provided with passages leading to a bearing face of thecarrier mounted on said carrier, pistons in said radial cylinders havinglaterally extending gudgeon pins provided with I r llers, a pair ofoppositely disposed and grooved rings of fixed eccentricity, a fixedcentral valve, the valves having inlet and outlet passages extendingto'the bearing face of the valve onwhich rotates the cylinder carrier sothat during the rotation of the carrier the passages in the cylinder andvalve will register to effect the compression and delivery ofthe air orgas and the reciprocation ofthe pistons being effected by the rollers ofthe gudgeon pins extending into the grooves of the rings of fixedeccentricity.

20. A rotary air motor or compressor comprising radial cylinders, acentral valve about which said cylinders rotate, reciprocating pistonsin-said cylinders, gudgeon pins mounted in said pistons, grooved ringsrotatable on fixed eccentrics relative to the central valve into thegrooves of which the gudgeon pins extend laterally, said rings beingentirely separate frolneach other, but cooperating in unison with thegudgeon pins to reciprocate the pistons.

In witness whereof we aifix our signatures.

HENRY SELBY HELE-SHAW. THOMAS EDWARD BEACHAM.

